Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Typhoon

by Chu, Wesley

  “The numbers will grow as the main body approaches.” Hengyen put two fingers into his mouth and blasted a shrill whistle, capturing the attention of a group of guards who had just been deployed onto the field. He jabbed a finger to their left. “Wrong place, Lo. Your team fights on top of the hill.” Hengyen turned back to Guo. “My wind teams bought us some time. They put up several smaller blockades along the side roads, narrowing the jiāngshī’s paths into streams. They managed to divert them from the Beacon in other places, potentially turning away thousands of jiāngshī.”

  Thousands diverted, thousands still on the way. They were putting Band-Aids on bullet wounds, but it was what was being asked of him.

  “How about our personnel?” asked Guo.

  “Six shifts at four hours nonstop. We can maintain this rotation for now, but will probably struggle to keep it up once we suffer casualties,” Wangfa reported. “We could use a few hundred more bodies.”

  Hengyen shook his head. “My wind teams have already scoured every crevice and vulture settlement that we could find. We are literally out of bodies to throw in danger’s way. We have to make do with the numbers we have.”

  “Perhaps not every crevice,” said Wangfa. He held up a camera with the glass shattered. “I looked through Wenzhu’s photos. There’s a few group ones taken that had at least thirty in it. This settlement he has left us for could be sizable enough to make a difference.”

  Hengyen was dubious, especially with the typhoon already on their doorsteps. “But the defense…”

  “… can hold for a few days,” Wangfa insisted. “Take a few of our best. Arm them with guns. Even if you only bring back those in the picture, it would be worth it.”

  “Do we even know where this supposed village is located?”

  “No,” said Guo, “But I know someone who may. Bo has so far refused to talk, regardless of how much the guards have tried to beat it out of him. Elena Anderson clammed up when we interviewed her, but I think she knows more than she’s letting on.”

  “She’s innocent. She is as much a victim as anyone. Zhu betrayed her.”

  “What if we’re just not giving her the proper motivation?” Guo plucked the camera from Wangfa’s hands. “Come, Windmaster, let’s speak with your underling. Maybe she just needs the right incentive to remember some helpful details.”

  “But the typhoon is approaching now. My place is on the front line.” Indeed, the first of the jiāngshī had just reached the far outer wall.

  “Wangfa’s place as head of defense is on the front line. He has done a splendid job with our fortifications. We’re in good hands. Your duty is to acquire the resources the Beacon needs to maintain our defenses, or have you forgotten?” Guo waved at the battlefield. “Besides, this is just the appetizer. What did our scouts say? We have a week before the real threat arrives.”

  “Go ahead, Hengyen,” said Wangfa, crossing his arms. “The walls won’t crack in the first hour of the first day just because the great savior of the Beacon of Light isn’t here.”

  Hengyen scowled and was about to shoot back a sharp retort when the secretary cut him off. “You’re with me, Windmaster. That’s an order. Let’s go.”

  None of this sat well with him, but Hengyen had no choice but to follow. What else could he do? He was only a small cog of the Revolution. As much as he hated and questioned being pulled off the front line in the initial attack, the secretary was in charge and, short of staging a coup, Hengyen had to respect the chain of command. The day the Living Revolution fought with itself was the day the revolution died.

  Besides, Guo did make a good point. As much as he hated to admit it, there was wisdom in the secretary’s decision to divide his duties. The only reason why the Beacon was able to successfully acquire the resources they needed was because Hengyen had focused his energies on the task while leaving the construction of the defenses to Wangfa. There was no way Hengyen could have done both jobs adequately.

  The two men went down the catwalk stairs and headed to the supply warehouse. While Bo had been put on permanent Charred Fields penance for his part in Wenzhu’s escape, Elena was given the benefit of the doubt but grounded within the Beacon. She had been reassigned to assist Ming, who had reported discrepancies in his inventories. He believed someone or some group was stealing from the supply stores.

  They found Elena taking inventory of the food in one of the tents. They could hear the quotamaster’s grating voice even from half a block away. Ming’s demeanor turned subservient the moment they walked inside, and he quickly barked for Elena to come when Guo asked to speak with her.

  “How can I serve the Living Revolution?” Elena stared blankly at the ground. Her hair was ragged, she looked sullen, and deep lines circled her red eyes. The fire in her had diminished. She appeared utterly spent, and what remained was the husk of the once-assertive woman who was not afraid to stand out. Her lover’s betrayal must have hurt her badly.

  “We need your help,” said Guo. “As you know, the typhoon is here. Wenzhu has abandoned you and Haobo to your fate, and joined his other woman in that traitorous hidden village. Do you know where it’s located?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know where he is,” she mumbled. The girl was a bad actress.

  “I admire your continuing loyalty to someone who has wronged you so terribly,” Hengyen said. “But the settlement requires more defenders. Thousands of lives depend on these fortifications holding.”

  “The walls are only as strong as the patriots who man it,” Guo added. “Your friend Bo is paying the price for his loyalty to an evil person. Do not fall for that same trap. Help us, and I promise all will be forgiven. I will even extend my clemency to Ming Haobo as well.”

  Elena flinched, but still said nothing. The conflict inside her, however, was plain to see. She blinked and wiped her face with her sleeve as if she were struggling to breathe.

  Hengyen shared glances with Guo. “That’s a shame.” He turned to leave.

  “Elena Anderson,” said Guo slowly. “Did you know that the city of Xi’an still stands?”

  She shook her head. “No, Secretary.”

  He nodded vigorously. “Indeed it does. The military managed to quarantine the city and get its population under control before things got out of hand. It is now the temporary capital of China until we can reclaim the rest of our country.”

  “That’s good news,” she replied, not sounding enthused at all.

  “The airport in the city is still operational.”

  She blinked, her eyelids flickering as she processed the meaning behind his words.

  “Of course,” Guo continued quickly, “it’s currently reserved for military use, but I believe the government has been using the airport to reconnect to the rest of the world.”

  “Really?” A small spark appeared to rekindle inside her.

  “I personally guarantee that I will do all that’s in my power to put you on the next flight back to your home country. All you have to do is assist us in whatever way you can through this dangerous moment in the revolution. Help us locate Zhu and those villagers to bring back into the arms of the Living Revolution. Can you make this arrangement for the greater good?”

  Hengyen stood back and watched their exchange intently. The smartest thing Secretary Guo could do now was not utter another word. He already had Elena Anderson eating out of the palm of his hand.

  20 FINDING HOME

  It took Zhu two days to reach Fongyuan. There wasn’t time to pack his stash of supplies or grab any food. All he had were the clothes on his back and a small knife he kept strapped to his waist. Making the journey alone was hazardous enough, but doing it without any supplies had been nearly suicidal.

  Zhu had stayed on the flag paths, but avoided the sanctuaries out of fear of running into another wind team. His days were damp, yet the sun scalded his exposed skin. The nights nearly killed him with cold and rain. He barely managed to get any sleep up in the trees as he suffered from a combination of falli
ng temperatures, insects, and the constant fear of falling. The only food he managed to eat were a few edible sprouts and grubs that he foraged for along the way. This while thousands of mosquitoes and other insects attacked him constantly.

  By the time he reached the village, he was more dead than alive. To be honest, he was surprised he’d made it this far. If it weren’t for Shenyang on lookout, he might not have made it at all. She caught sight of him from her perch as he staggered half-conscious through the muddy rice field filled with stuck jiāngshī. He had grown lightheaded and ended up face-planting in a puddle. It took most of his remaining strength to push himself to his knees, but he had nothing after that. He didn’t know how long he stayed in the wet field, futilely willing his quivering legs to straighten before she appeared by his side. Drowning in ankle-deep water would have been one of the more embarrassing ways to die. The last thing Zhu remembered was slumping against Shenyang as she supported him the rest of the way.

  The next few hours were a blur. One blink, he was being half dragged, half carried across a rice field. The next, they were struggling up the hill toward the barrier in the hidden pass. She was screaming awfully loudly for help. Zhu remember wishing she were a little quieter. The next blink, he was surrounded by people. They were jostling him in a makeshift stretcher. Water was splashing everywhere. There were voices from every direction. Worried faces came into view and then faded.

  At one point, a pair of calloused hands began prying his eye lids open and slapping his face. Zhu didn’t have the energy to fight them off. Someone removed his clothes. The next time he blinked, he was so close to a roaring fire that half of his face felt blistered while his feet were so wet and cold he wasn’t sure if they were still there. He was also completely naked underneath a wool blanket. Even half-conscious, Zhu felt embarrassed that someone had undressed him.

  By the time he finally woke with his wits about him, it was dark outside. The fire that was roaring earlier was now just an angry smolder with bright tiny sparks dancing above it like fireflies. It hissed every time a drop of rain slid off the tent flap onto it. Zhu touched his forehead and felt damp sweat. He was still shivering uncontrollably even though his skin was hot to the touch.

  He grunted as he forced himself to sit up. His body was stiff and ached all over as he stretched his arms and soaked in his surroundings. He was sleeping inside a tent. There was just enough cover over him to keep off the light drizzle blanketing the area. The bed he was sleeping on was a wooden pallet that gave him a little clearance above the ground so that he was not lying in water.

  Meili was also here, curled with her knees to her chest on a plastic chair just off to the side with a blanket wrapped around her body so only her face showed. She was asleep; the sound of her breathing mixing with the rain pattering the earth had a calming effect on Zhu. He was about to call her name when he stopped. Just because he was awake didn’t mean he had to ruin her rest.

  He thought about getting up and stretching his legs but then remembered he was naked under the blanket. He found his clothes hanging from a pole on the other end of the tent, but decided against retrieving them. The man who had killed a hundred jiāngshī was afraid to be seen walking naked to the other side of a tent for fear that one of the villagers might spot him.

  That was the moment Zhu realized he was really finally home. A smile broke on his face. He was back where he belonged, with the people with whom he belonged. The warmth expanding in his chest just now was hotter and more nourishing than the remnants of the fire burning next to him.

  He stuck his head out from beneath the tent flap and stared at the starless night sky, being just able to make out the fast-moving clouds rolling by as cold drops of rain struck and rolled down his face. He was safe now, but what about Bo and Elena? Zhu hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye to anyone.

  When Bo had found him, he was helping the guards pull the burnt bodies of the Heaven Monks out of the shipping containers. The group had committed mass suicide through immolation after their demands had been rejected. Bo came running up to Zhu and before any of the guards could say a word, had yanked Zhu away by the collar as if he were an errant child about to be punished. His loyal friend was in a near panic and Zhu could barely make out what he was saying. It took Bo several tries to convey the warning that the guards were about to arrest him and that he had better flee the Beacon immediately.

  At first, Zhu thought his friend was overreacting and tried to calm him down. It was a good thing Bo was adamant. His friend literally picked Zhu up like a sack of rice, carried him up to the parapet and stuffed him into the cable transport. Zhu didn’t even get the opportunity to tell Bo to take Elena and meet him at the village.

  The cable transport had just cleared the settlement’s walls when he heard his name blared over the loudspeakers. That was when he realized his friend hadn’t been overreacting. He had to watch helplessly as Bo fought off several guards who were trying to reach the transport’s controls. The last thing he saw before the Beacon disappeared from view was a swarm of guards overwhelming Bo. His friend had just managed to keep them at bay long enough for Zhu to escape.

  Zhu worried for him. At best, Bo would be severely punished. At worst, his strong, funny friend had sacrificed his life for Zhu. And what of Elena? Zhu hadn’t gotten a chance to ask Elena to come with him. He hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. Was she paying penance for his betrayal to the Living Revolution? Did she think he had abandoned her?

  His heavy thoughts must have been loud. That or he wasn’t as quiet shuffling around as he thought. Meili stirred, and her eyes fluttered open.

  She startled him when she spoke. “Are you awake?” She slipped into a pair of galoshes and splashed over to him, checking his forehead and cheeks with the back of her head. “Your skin is still hot. How are you feeling?”

  On cue, Zhu’s stomach grumbled so harshly his entire body shuddered. “I could eat.”

  “Of course, the cooks should be up soon.”

  Zhu was about to stand when he remembered his current state of dress. He pulled the front of his blanket tighter around his neck. “Could you please hand me my clothes?”

  A smile grew on her face as she went over to retrieve them. “They’re still wet. Hang on.” She left the tent and returned a few minutes later with a fresh set of clothes wrapped inside a paper bag. “These are Jincai’s. I think you two are about the same size.”

  Meili was a bad judge of size, because Jincai ended up being slightly broader and much taller. Zhu had to roll the pant legs all the way back to his knees, and the shirt hung off his shoulders like he was a little boy trying on his father’s clothes. Still, they were dry and clean. Meili also gave him a pair of mismatching sandals for walking on the soggy ground. The left sandal was too narrow and pinched his toes, while the right was too large and slid around.

  The rain had finally subsided by the time he was dressed, and the village was beginning to stir. The sun had not risen yet, but people were moving about starting fires and preparing breakfast. Zhu poked his head out of the tent and took a hesitant step onto the grass. His entire foot got sucked into the water. He scanned the field. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized that he was seeing more water than dirt.

  Meili appeared next to him and threw her arms around his neck. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  “I can’t imagine myself being anywhere else.” He really meant it.

  Much had changed in the few weeks he had been gone. The center field that had previously been the heart of the village was now a shallow lake. A few of the more permanent structures were poking out of the surface. The villagers had moved to higher ground along the terraced edges surrounding the lake. Those areas too, however, were now mostly flooded. It was only a matter of time before they ran out of ground.

  “You came back just in time,” she explained as they walked along the edge of the newly formed lake. “We were planning on leaving in the next few days.”

  “Is the vil
lage prepared for the journey?” he asked as they moved to a plastic table elevated on a stack of pallets.

  “Food and supplies, yes. Chima admitted he didn’t realize how unprepared we were in the security department until you arrived and showed everyone how to survive. We’ve been trying to train more people, but we’re nowhere close to ready. Now we’re out of time and have no choice.” She leaned in. “You are coming with us to the Pillars? That’s why you came back, right?”

  Zhu had hoped there would be enough time for him to go back to get Elena and Bo but, if he was being honest, that was no longer feasible. The Beacon had become a fortress. It was suicide to try to sneak back in, especially after his very public escape.

  But, leaving them at the mercy of the typhoon? Zhu hated the impossibility of the world he lived in now.

  His guilt was interrupted by a flurry of activity as his students charged their table and surrounded him. Excited shouts of “Zhu-shūshu” and “shīfù” filled his ears as the kids clamored to welcome him back. Some asked where he had gone, but most just wanted to know if he was staying for good this time. A few grumbled and asked why he hadn’t said goodbye. Many wanted to know if he would teach them some jiāngshī-slaying moves.

  A little girl tugged at his overly long sleeves. “Are you coming with us to our new home?”

  Meili put her hands on the girl’s shoulders and leaned in. “Well, Wenzhu, are you?”

  A smile cracked open on his face. “Of course I’m going with you to the Precipitous Pillars. And you all better start warming up. You all have class this morning.” His stomach grumbled. He added, “After breakfast.”

  21 FONGYUAN REVISITED

  Elena let the pack slide off her shoulders. Wincing, she first hunched over and then arched her sore back, letting her aching muscles stretch. She had never realized how cumbersome ammunition was until she had to carry fifty rounds of it around her waist while hiking up and down mountains. Between that and the obscenely large assault rifle they had given her, it was like carrying half her body weight.